Feature Match Round 7: Reinhard Blech vs. Antoine Ruel

Craig Jones

Reinhard Blech from Germany is the winner of Grand Prix Genoa earlier this year. Antoine Ruel is one of the top players in France. Both tried to outdo each other with tales of how bad their decks were.

Blech started and it all went wrong when he passed turn 3 without laying a land.

In game 2 even the little things were going wrong for the German. His Talisman appeared a turn late on three, but at least turn 4 was better as he summoned Myr Enforcer. Meanwhile Ruel had a couple of grounded Skyhunter Cubs. A Viridian Longbow sent one to the skies and it took out the Enforcer when that tried to march through the red zone.

Blech continued with the monsters, Skyhunter Patrol and then a threatening Rustmouth Ogre. A Scimitar came out for Ruel and now his other Cub was big enough to handle the Ogre.

“Now it becomes a mind game again,” Blech said, looking at his Atog and many artifacts and Ruel’s one untapped plains.

Could he have Awe Strike? Blech thought about it, cast an Archer as back up and then sent the Atog in. Ruel started picking up his cards when the Atog’s power reached double figures.

On 9 life the situation was desperate for the German as he looked at a Megatog that was about to swell to ludicrous proportions in the next attack. Blech thought for a long time before deciding that he wouldn’t survive the next attack. His only hope lay in finding the one Blinding Beam in his deck to tap Ruel’s Spikeshot Goblin and alpha strike for the win. He made a Serum Tank and then sac’ed the Cathodion to get the mana to activate it.